Hay-rack.



J. G. BAILEY.-

HAY RACK.

APPLICATION FILED 0156.17. 1910.

Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

lave/21w A may be upon the top of said load, may operate the lever for producing a frictional engagement between the lower end of the lever and the side of the beam 6 for retarding the return movement of said movable rack-section.

The upper edge of the beam 6 is shown provided with a series of teeth 14., preferably in the form of ratchet-teeth, and said teeth may or may not be out or formed in the beam. 15 designates a lever fulcrumed at 16 in arms 17 carried by the brace 10 and on the lower end of the lever 15 is pivoted a member 18 having the function of a pawl which is adapted to engage the teeth 1% on beam 6 for manually moving or propelling the slidable-rack-section on the frame. The lever 15 is carried out beyond the lever 12 so as not to interfere with the action of said lever 12, and the member 18 is an open structure, see Fig. 2, to permit the operation of the lever 12 through said member. Operating lever 15 will move the movablerack-section in a step by step movement, and to look the rack-section when the member 18 is moved from engagement with one tooth to another, I provide the member or pawl 19, pivotally attached to the cross-piece of the movablerack-section 5, which will drop into a tooth i lof the rack and thereby prevent backward movement of the movable-racksection. The member or pawl 19 and the member 1.8 are capable of being moved out of the way when the movable-rack-section is moved toward the rear end of the frame. It will be observed that when the frame is in position to correspond to Fig. 1, and the movable-rack-section 5 will not return by gravity, that a person may by manipulating lever 15, move the said section to its forward position on the frame, and said section traveling on rollers, see Patent No. 966318, will not be difficult to move.

Reference being had particularly to Fig. 3, 2O denotes a rear post, there being two in actual use, one at each corner of the fixedrack-section serving as a partial inclosure for the hay after being pitched upon the fixed-section of the rack. I have found that where such posts are used, if they are not movable or adjustable, the hay will get caught on the posts and the operator must be continually clearing the posts. To obviate this difficulty, I have hinged the posts 20 at 21 to the frame and connect a spring 22 to the lower end of the post and to the frame, see Fig. 3. The spring 22 maintains the post in a normal, upright or vertical position, but will permit the upper end of the post to give and move in the direction shown in Fig. 3. Thus, it will appear that when hay is being pitched or thrown onto the rack-sections and some of it gets entangled in the post 20, the post will give to the movement of the hay and as soon as the hay releases itself, the post through the action of the spring 22 will return to its normal position.

W hat I claim is 1. A hay rack including in combination, a fixed section and a section movable thereon, said second section being adapted to be moved from one end of the fixed section to the other by gravity, and means for posi tively moving said movable section on said fixed section, said means including a toothed bar on one of said sections, a lever on the other of said sections having a ratchet member adapted, to engage said toothed bar so as to move said section.

2. A hay rack including in combination, a fixed section and a section movable thereon, said second section being adapted to be moved from one end of the fixed section to the other by gravity, and means for positively moving said movable section on said fixed section, said means including a toothed bar on one of said sections, a lever on the other of said sections having a ratchet member adapted to engage said toothed bar so as to move said section, and means adapted to engage the sides of the toothed bar to operate as a brake or to be moved in front of either end of said bar to serve as a lock.

3. In a hay-rack, the combination with a fixed and a movable-section under normal conditions adapted to be moved from one end of the rack to the other by gravity, of a. toothed-bar disposed longitudinally on the rack, a lever carried on the movable-section, an open pawl attached to the lever and adapted to have a ratchet engagement with the teeth on the bar, a locking-member pivotally attached to the movable-section and adapted to engage the teeth on the bar for locking the movable-section in adjusted position, and a second lever carried on the movable-section, said second lever operating through the open pawl on the first lever and arranged to en age the side of thebar or be moved in front of either end of said bar, for purposes described.

4:. In a hay-rack, the combination with a fixed and movable section, said movable section under normal conditions adapted to be moved from one end of the rack to the other by gravity, of a toothed bar disposed longitudinally on the rack, a frame pivoted to said movable section and comprising uprights connected by cross-braces, arms extending from one of said cross-braces, a lever pivoted between said arms, an open pawl attached to said lever and adapted to have a ratchet engagement with the teeth on said bar, a locking member pivotally attached to said movable section and adapted to engage the teeth on the bar for locking the movable section in adjusted position, a second lever carried by said frame, a guide therefor on one of said cross-braces, said second lever extending through the open pawl and arranged to engage the side of said bar or to be moved in front of either end of said bar for the purposes described.

5. In a hay-rack, the combination with a fixed and movable section, said movable section under normal conditions adapted to be moved from one end of the rack to the other by gravity, a tooth-bar disposed longitudinally on the fixed section, a frame pivoted to the movable section and comprising uprights connected by cross-braces, a lever piv- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, 20

in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES G. BAILEY.

Witnessesz D. M. BROWN, J. W. NAYLOR.

Copies of this patent ma; be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

